ST PAUL’S PARISH NEWS

18th March 2021

Sunday Worship 21st March 2021 Fifth Sunday of Lent

09.45 Service of the Word online on our St Paul’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJUjp8QOUAnLzbhP0rxaJA or if your device allows just scan the QR code

Wednesday at 09.15: Morning Prayer by telephone conferencing (please contact Margaret Ives for more information – tel: 67346)

Thursday at 21.30: Compline by telephone conferencing (please contact Tony Walker for more information – tel: 382397)

Readings for next Sunday: Either Mark 11: 1-11 or John 12: 12-16

Lent Midweek Services: During Lent we will be providing midweek services on Wednesdays on our YouTube channel. There will be a range of different services so please take the opportunity to try ones that you are not familiar with. All of the services will be made available at 09.00 on the day and will remain on YouTube throughout Lent. If you would like to worship as part of our wider virtual church family, please do so at the times shown below. Wednesday 24th February at 09.15 Morning Prayer Wednesday 3rd March at 19.30 Iona Service Wednesday 10th March at 18.00 Evening Prayer Wednesday 17th March at 19.30 Reflective Prayer Wednesday 24th March at 21.30 Compline (Night Prayer)

Worshipping God, Growing in Faith, Serving the community A message from Reverend Rebecca: Our Lenten journey is slowly winding down as we look tentatively towards resurrection and new life at Easter. We are working towards opening St Paul’s Scotforth Church for in-person worship on Easter Sunday and preparing to worship online as we approach Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

Throughout Lent I have been sharing prayers that I have found helpful on my own spiritual journey, or recommended by others. Here is one by Rev Liz that I find helpful when I am at a loss for words:

When I don't want to pray As I sit there Still Whenever. I can turn my hands over So the palms face upwards Towards the ceiling Or sky And I wait. This action is my prayer If I have no words If I cannot pray If I don't want to pray God hears me. Amen

Collect for 21st March 2021: Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world; grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. FOR OUR PRAYERS

Our mission Partners: Stephen and Marit Impey managing Wycliffe Bible Translators Ethiopian work, the work of Global Link and MIND (). From our Parish prayer diary: Dunkenshaw Crescent, Shireshead Crescent, Road From our Church prayer diary: Maclean (16th Lancaster) Cub Pack Those who have asked for prayers for healing: Alan, Kath and family, Mary Wilson, Eunice Parkinson, Marion Corkill, Katherine McHale, Pat Mitchell, John Fidler, Sarah Huddleston All who mourn: Margaret Aileen Jones, Barbara Hinde, Mary Mattinson. Those who have died due to the coronavirus.

Readings for Sunday 21st March: Jeremiah 31.31-34 31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband,* says the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

John 12.20-33 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ 22Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. 27 ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ 29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ 30Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people* to myself.’ 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

A message from Reverend Claire: During this season of lent, I will be praying for Hala and I invite you to join me. You might like to use the prayer below as a starting point to pray. Feel free to pray alone or with a friend over the phone, or you may like to join me on Zoom on Sunday mornings after the online service. You can email me at [email protected] for the details of the zoom call. The link remains the same for each week. A Lenten Prayer for Hala - based on Matthew 28:16-20 Lord Jesus, we come to you in worship. We come as we are, bringing our hopes and dreams, our fears and doubts, our joys and challenges. Thank you that you welcome us. We pause to wonder at your glory.

We recognise that we are your people. We stand in your authority, only because you have given it to us. Without you, our best efforts are empty. Teach us to embrace our weakness, that in you, we may find strength. We pause to submit ourselves to you and commit ourselves to your will once again.

We hear your command to go. We feel the discomfort of stepping out of what is familiar to us. We name our fear and the things we don't want to leave behind. Teach us to follow you; that we might grow in trust in you. We pause to count the cost and choose to obey your command.

We look to your example of making disciples, of sharing life generously. Help us to speak well of you, to point to the work you are doing in people's lives. We ask you to bring new life to Hala; For answered prayers and lives lived in celebration and obedience to you. We pause to name those we know in Hala and ask for your blessing upon them.

We are thankful of your promise to be with us, always. We take confidence in this alone. Your presence with us is enough, Jesus. We pause to be still and know you are God. We pause to recognise your love holds us and sends us. We pause to notice how your spirit leads us today.

National Census Day – Sunday 21st March: Just a reminder that a national census is taking place on Sunday, 21st March and we are all required by law to complete our census forms on that day and submit or return them as soon as possible thereafter. Failure to do so could result in a fine up to £1000. All households should have received a letter about how to do this online, but if you need a paper form or need help to complete the form in any other way you should ring 0800 141 2021. Large print formats are available and all telephone calls to the helpline are free.

A message from a member of our church family: Thank you to those who organised and delivered the beautiful pot plants to members of our church family. As the plant became part of each household, it surely helped us to ‘remember’ many previous years when all the ladies in church received a plant on Mothering Sunday. Perhaps it ‘reset’ our minds after a long Covid lockdown to ‘reflect’ on the spring flowers in the knowledge that summer follows spring, and to ‘refresh’ our faith as Easter follows Lent. Are we going to be able to ‘restore’ some form of normality on Easter Sunday with the church perhaps open? After the ‘recharge’ given by the current Lenten series of sermons, and by our beautiful spring houseplants, we offer grateful thanks to all who have been involved.

Escape to the Tropics with Fairtrade and RSPB by Arton Medd:

The R SPB Lancaster local group and Lancaster, and District Fairtrade Group are joining forces for an event focussing on the Gola Rainforest in Sierra Leone, West Africa via Zoom on Tuesday 30th March at 7.30pm. The RSPB has helped in a project that has not only created a rainforest national park but has also produced some delicious Fairtrade chocolate! The programme includes a film about a group of cocoa farmers who have come together to protect the forest, and develop their communities. The challenge for them is to find ways to increase their income without harming the rainforest. The film explores ‘forest friendly farming’, where cocoa farmers work together in a Fairtrade co- operative, farm organically, and respect the trees, animals and birds. This will be followed by a presentation by Colin Pringle, former RSPB Chief Technical Advisor on the Gola Programme with Sierra Leone Government, who will relate his experience of working on a project that has done so much to protect both wildlife and people. If you would like to join this zoom meeting please contact me by email ([email protected]) and I will send you the link nearer the time.

Deanery Quiz – the answers:

1. No surprise that The Priory has the longest history of worship on the site – going back to the 5thcentury. Which church has the second longest history of worship? St Peter, 2. How many churches have spires in the Deanery? 5: St Luke Winmarleigh; Christ Church Lancaster; St Thomas Lancaster; St Chad ; St Martin of Tours Westgate. 3. Which church is the most recent? St Martin of Tours Westgate - 1990 4. Which church is the most southerly? St Luke Winmarleigh 5. Which church is closest to the sea? St Christopher Bare (just a short distance closer than St Peter Heysham, Christ Church Glasson and St Helen Overton) 6. There is a village in our Deanery with an association to an aquatic mammal – which saint is its church dedicated to? St Mark 7. Which church is at the highest elevation above sea level? Christ Church Over Wyresdale at 150m above sea level 8. A few of our churches are named after less well-known saints. Which saint undertook missionary journeys with St Paul and is described in the Bible as "a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith". St Barnabus Morecambe 9. Three churches in the Deanery have the same dedication. Which ones are they? Christ Church Over Wyresdale; Christ Church Glasson; Christ Church Lancaster 10. Only 2 churches are dedicated to women. Which ones are they? The Priory – St Mary; St Helen Overton

Submissions for the Parish News The deadline each week is Tuesday at noon but we can always add contributions to the following week’s Parish News. We look forward to receiving your contributions and supporting each other in the Body of Christ during this time. Please email the parish office, leave a message on the answer machine for a telephone submission or post/leave an article for the Parish Office in the Parish Hall letterbox.

VICAR: Rev Rebecca Aechtner - Tel: If you would 749693 like to Email: [email protected] Rest day – Friday: Please try not to call financially except in an emergency. support the PIONEER MINISTER: Rev Claire Cooke Email: [email protected] mission and ministry of St Work days are Tuesday, Thursday and Paul’s Church then please Sunday visit our online giving page WARDENS: Mrs Jayne Weatherill – Tel: 60597; email: [email protected] by clicking on the Give a and Mr Tony Walker – Tel: 382397; email: Little logo on our website – [email protected] PARISH OFFICE: the office is remaining https://stpauls-scotforth.org closed at this time, however the telephone – thank you. and email will be monitored and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Tel: 01524 843135 Email: [email protected] BAPTISMS AND WEDDINGS: Booking enquiries - please contact the parish office or Email: [email protected] CHURCH WEBSITE: www.stpauls- scotforth.org FACEBOOK: regular updates about life at St Paul’s can be found: @scotforthstpaulschurch